‘Ice cream that’s artisanal’: Scoop Microcreamery brings small-batch charm to Palo Alto

For Jennifer and Benjamin Cochran, owning Scoop Microcreamery was a case of serendipity. As longtime home cooks and bakers, the pair had a history of experimenting with food creations. When the previous owners, Cindy and Dave Somasunderams, looked to sell the company, the Cochrans jumped at the chance to run their own dessert store.

The purchase was a leap of faith: Jennifer remembers friends and family calling them crazy for deciding to buy literally weeks before she gave birth. “What are we doing? We had no idea,” she recalls. But today, the pair has no regrets.

Scoop can be found on University Avenue, next to Araki Sushi and opposite Lytton Plaza. Inside, the space is a mix of retro and futuristic, with black and white tiles and a handwritten menu contrasting the sleek, industrial-grade mixers that churn out the store’s rotating selection of flavors. From Brown Sugar Banana to Grasshopper Pie, Scoop offerings center on innovating traditional ice cream practices.

The store prides itself on products made with liquid nitrogen in small batches. Unlike traditional batch freezing, which happens so gradually that air gets incorporated into the mixture, liquid nitrogen cools the ice cream rapidly, so less air is mixed in. The result is more dense ice cream.

When the Cochrans took the keys to Scoop, they found it important to preserve the liquid nitrogen recipe. “Customers have an expectation of what [Scoop’s ice cream] should taste like,” Benjamin Cochran explained. “We wanted to honor that as much as possible and continue their traditions.” 

But the Cochrans have also built upon the Somasunderams’ legacy. Benjamin Cochran takes pride in the recipes he devises himself, such as the rosemary-kissed lemon flavor, which debuted last year.

This mom-and-pop vibe sets Scoop apart, according to Jennifer Cochran. It’s an atmosphere that the pair have intentionally curated. “We lead by example,” Benjamin Cochran said. When a new hire is shadowing him, for instance, he tries to model the same excitement that he hopes they will take into interactions with customers.

For Selina Marton ’27, Scoop stands out because of its quality recipes. “Coming from Italy, I feel like I appreciate having ice cream that’s artisanal,” she said. But for Marton, there’s also something about the shop’s local scale that sets it apart. “It’s definitely smaller scale and just seems more locally run.”

The small, community-focused ethos is one that has built the shop a loyal customer base. There’s Donna, an elderly woman who comes in every week with a walker and gets the same order each time. Then, there’s the ukulele player who grabs a bite every day on her way home. Palo Alto community members have become regulars at the shop. “We’re just a part of a lot of people’s routines, and we love that,” Benjamin Cochran said.

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